[FancyTuning]

It's sort of like loading an armored Bentley, except, you know, times 31. [Photo Credit: SEBASTIAN WILLNOW/AFP/Getty Image]

So how'd they get the Panamera and it's fat butt up there? Check out the images above and you'll see it was quite the squeeze, almost mimicking what you'd see if Santa Claus were real and he was shimmying up your chimney after eating all your cookies and making out with your Mom. Wait a minute...

Getting the Panamera, or any car for that matter, up to the 94th floor of the world's second tallest building is no easy task. Workers jimmied the 4-door Porsche into the freight elevator using a motor ramp and some careful coordination to get it into an upright position for its ride up 1,394 feet to what is considered to be the world's tallest event platform.

Question is — How'd they get it down?
[WCF via Porsche]

A Four-Door Porsche?

In a first-ever move for the company, Porsche introduces the four-door Panamera at this year's Shanghai Motor Show

The legendary sports car maker is changing the whole idea of a four door sedan. People may do a double take when they see the first-ever four-seat sports car from Porsche called the "Panamera", just introduced at the Shanghai Motor Show in China.

The 2010 Panamera is Porsche's fourth model line and the company says customers will see an unprecedented vehicle concept, a gran turismo offering dynamic performance, elegance and luggage space - all delivered at zero to 60 miles and hour in under 5 seconds.

This is the first premium car with an automatically shifting double-clutch transmission to feature an engine start/stop system that saves fuel and reduces emissions by turning the off when it is not needed, such as sitting at a stop light, for example. The Panamera will be on sale in the United States this October.

While drinking some beers this evening on my Huangpu River-front apartment balcony in Pudong Shanghai, I happened to notice one of the many Chinese TV boats playing a Porsche Panamera preview as it passed by. Intrigued, I grabbed my camera and shot a couple of quick shots before it got away.

Not content with seeing the Panamera defeat the laws of physics on the river, I'll also be bringing you live coverage of all the rest of the hoopla from the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show floor next week.

We've now got more details on the Panamera Turbo's auto-deploying wing. We're told "The visible highlight of the overall aerodynamic package is the active four-way rear spoiler on the Panamera Turbo. Through its efficient management of control angles and surface geometry geared to driving conditions, the rear spoiler optimizes both the car's aerodynamics and performance." Yeah, that's pretty much all it says. Check out the rest of the press release below describing in not-a-lot-of-detail what else to expect technologically from the four-door Porsche.

PORSCHE® SHARES MORE PANAMERA® INNOVATIONS Automatic Engine Start/Stop Function Among Several New Technologies to be Featured on Porsche’s Upcoming Four-Seat Gran Turismo ATLANTA – March 18, 2009 —-- As the moment draws near when the Porsche Panamera makes its public debut at the Shanghai Motor Show on April 19, 2009, the Stuttgart, Germany based auto manufacturer reveals a few more technical details to whet the appetites of those in search of the emotional and driving character of a sports car coupled with the high luxury and interior comfort of a performance sedan in one unique vehicle that is still instantly recognized as a Porsche. When it goes on sale in the United States on Oct. 17, 2009, the Panamera will showcase some inno- vative technologies. These include the first automatic engine start/stop feature used with an automatically shifting double-clutch transmission, air suspension with additional air volume on demand, and on the Panamera Turbo active aerodynamics with a multi-stage, adjustable rear spoiler that deploys when needed. With the Panamera, Porsche’s fourth model line, customers will see an unprecedented vehicle concept – a four-seat gran turismo offering both dynamic performance and superior elegance all in one. While competing with well-established models in the premium class, the Panamera carves a new niche in terms of performance, driving dynamics and efficiency. This is familiar ground as efficient, high-performance engines, lightweight engineering and optimized aerodynamics have been Porsche core competencies throughout its 60-year history both on and off the race circuits. Maximum performance and efficiency The Panamera is the first premium car with an automatically shifting double-clutch transmission to feature an engine start/stop system that saves fuel and reduces emissions by turning the engine off when it is not needed, such as sitting at a stop light, for example. All engines have advanced and fuel-efficient Direct Fuel Injection (DFI), as well. In addition to consistently reducing friction in their engines, Porsche further enhanced the engines with innovations such as map-controlled coolant/temperature management and ancillary units with enhanced efficiency. The Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) double-clutch gearbox, standard on all U.S. Panamera models and a first in this market segment, also enhances both fuel economy and performance. Being more efficient than a conventional automatic transmission, the PDK gearbox can save even more fuel through its long, overdrive-like top gear. It offers outstanding performance with typical Porsche driving dynamics through ultra-fast gearshifts without the slightest interruption of engine power.
In conjunction with other specific improvements enhancing overall efficiency, including tires with minimal rolling resistance and disc brakes with residual brake forces reduced to a minimum, the Panamera S consumes just 10.8 liters/100 kilometers (equal to 26.2 mpg imp) in the New European Driving Cycle (EPA fuel economy figures are not yet available). Chassis and suspension: driving dynamics and comfort all in one The Panamera chassis and suspension is not a compromise between sporting performance and superior comfort, but rather a combination of the two. In its basic setting it offers a very high level of driving comfort, yet at a touch of the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) button, it turns into a thoroughbred sports suspension. Another highlight is the adaptive air suspension that can provide extra air volume on demand. An absolute innovation in automotive technology, it offers an even greater variation of sporting and comfort features and is standard on the Panamera Turbo and optional on the other models. Driving dynamics and comfort may be further enhanced on all models through the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) system available in combination with a fully controlled rear axle differential. Through the Sport Plus button, the optional Sports Chrono Packages enable the driver to choose at the touch of a button the high-performance configurations for the drivetrain and suspension systems, including Porsche Traction Management (PTM ) with its fully-controlled all-wheel drive. PTM is standard on both the Panamera 4S and the Panamera Turbo. Body: light and functional The body is the synthesis of lightweight technology typical of a sports car, superior comfort, generous spaciousness, and efficient aerodynamics. The most advanced production methods and materials are used on the Panamera body. These include all kinds of steel grades, light alloys such as aluminum and magnesium, as well as plastics. The lightweight doors feature a load-bearing structure made of laser-treated pressure-cast aluminum, an aluminum outer skin and door window frames made of thin-walled pressure-cast magnesium. Thanks to this intelligent lightweight structure, the Panamera S, for example, weighs just 1,800 kg, or a just over 3,990 lbs. The rear seats set new standards in the luxury performance class in terms of both comfort and variability. Perfectly contoured as single seats, they offer maximum comfort also at the rear through their wide range of electrical adjustment and seat climate functions and the headrests integrated into the seats. The Panamera also comes with a highly functional, variable luggage compartment. The rear seat backrests tilt forward individually, providing up to 44.6 cubic feet or 1,263 liters of luggage capacity. The visible highlight of the overall aerodynamic package is the active four-way rear spoiler on the Panamera Turbo. Through its efficient management of control angles and surface geometry geared to driving conditions, the rear spoiler optimizes both the car’s aerodynamics and performance.
Acoustics: sporting sound and superior touring comfort Porsche’s development engineers have successfully achieved a perfect balance of sound of the exhaust system, the air intake, the engine, and the car’s aerodynamic acoustics. The result gives the Panamera a harmonious, characteristic sound pattern, bringing together seemingly contradictory requirements. At a very early point in the development process, for example, Porsche engineers analyzed aerodynamic acoustics on a clay model right from the start, achieving further optimization by way of numerous technical improvements with specific, individual effects. The result is a truly low level of noise within the interior and most appropriate for the luxury performance segment. But at the same time the typical powerful Porsche sound comes out clearly when accelerating, giving the Panamera a wide range of sound, from discreet modesty while cruising all the way to powerful emotion whenever the driver wishes to experience a sporting style of motoring. Using both new and proven technologies, Porsche’s engineers in Weissach while developing the Panamera have succeeded in intelligently solving all conflicts of interest. The result is a car with a wide range of features most appropriate for such an outstanding gran turismo: the engines are powerful and dynamic, efficient and clean. The Panamera combines comfortable touring characteristics with sports motoring so typical of Porsche. And despite the car’s dynamic proportions and coupe-like silhouette, the interior, apart from lots of space and superior comfort, also offers outstanding function and variability. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., is the exclusive importer of Porsche sports cars and sport utility vehicles for the United States. It is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. PCNA employs approximately 180 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 201 dealers. The dealers, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service. Throughout its 60-year history, Porsche has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations within the automotive industry. The company continues to celebrate its heritage by adding to its long list of motorsports victories dating back to its first 24 Hours of Le Mans class win in 1951. Today, with more than 28,000 victories, Porsche is recognized as the world's most successful marque in sports car racing. PCNA, which imports the iconic 911 series, the Boxster and Cayman sports cars and Cayenne sport utility vehicles and soon the Panamera gran turismo for the United States, strives to maintain a standard of excellence, commitment and distinction synonymous with its brand. ###

We don't really understand why Porsche is peddling new photography to those who signed up for direct mail, maybe some implied sense of exclusivity, but they must be spending a fortune on this campaign.
[Porsche Panamera Minisite]

The Porker that finally lives up to its name actually looks like a really nice place to spend time. We dig the four Recaro-style buckets and whatnot, but that's not what we care about, nor what you want to read about. We care about performance.

The base model will be the Panamera S. It uses a 400 HP, 4.8-liter V8 that delivers 0-60 in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 175 MPH. It'll cost you $89,900 and the ignobility of driving the cheapest version of the ugliest Porsche ever made. Above that sits the$93,800Panamera 4S, which uses the same engine, but uses all wheel drive to drop the 60 time to 4.8 seconds.

Have money to burn, literally, since you were smart enough to withdraw $10 million from your criminal husband's bank account the night before he was arrested? Then the car for you, Mrs. Madoff, is the range-topping Porsche Panamera Turbo. Not only will it flee enraged victims with aplomb at 188 MPH and get to 60 in 4.0 seconds, but it still has 15.7 cubic feet of room in the trunk to store the cash left over after you hand a Porsche sales person a brown paper bag with $132,600 in it.

The press release follows. A special prize for the first person to pronounce "Doppelkupplungsgetriebe" correctly.

PORSCHE REVEALS FIRST PANAMERA INTERIOR IMAGES

Photos Highlight the All-New Gran Turismo's ‘Cockpit for Four' Concept

ATLANTA – February 12, 2009 —-- Today, Porsche AG for the first time presents its Panamera four-door gran turismo interior concept. The much-anticipated addition to Porsche's performance lineup will make its U.S. market debut on Oct. 17, 2009.

With a continuous center console that extends from the dashboard to the rear seating area, the Panamera offers a new spatial concept for the driver and passengers featuring optimal ergonomic seating with individual cockpit-like spaces for all. Its deep seating position and a sport steering wheel help give the driver and passengers direct contact with the road. At the same time it provides a generous, roomy environment with exceptional leg and head room, unique qualities in a sporting machine yet essential for grand touring. This individual seating allows for optimum passive safety.

Porsche will provide countless opportunities for individual interior customization with 13 color and material combinations including four two-tone leather interiors and seven interior trim options including carbon fiber to Natural Olive wood.

An available four-zone climate control system gives each seating area individual control of functions such as temperature, air distribution and venting direction. In the unfortunate event of an accident, front, side and curtain airbags help protect the front occupants, while standard rear side airbags help protect those in back. The Panamera S and Panamera 4S feature eight-way power seats in front with a driver memory package. In the rear are two individual seats with a folding rear console and plenty of room. The Panamera Turbo has power seats with a memory package for not only the seat functions but also the electronically adjustable steering wheel. Further seating customization is available through optional alternatives such as 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats or fully adjustable eight-
way power seats in the rear.

Porsche for the first time will offer from Burmester® — the renown Berlin audio manufacturer — a new ultra high-end surround sound system. With 16 loudspeakers plus a subwoofer (a total of over 2.5 square feet of speaker surface area) and a total output of more than 1000 watts, this new system gives listeners a grand acoustical experience. And like the 2009 Porsche sports cars and SUVs,
Panameras will be available with the latest personal electronic connectivity features, including
Bluetooth for cellular telephones, Universal Audio Interface for connecting personal audio devices, and satellite radio.

The rear luggage area provides up to 15.7 cubic feet of space, enough room for four large suitcases. The tall space enables luggage to be loaded in an upright position, and with the rear seat folded down the luggage space generously increases up to 44.6 cubic feet.

Initially, all Panameras will be available with two V8 engine options, standard seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) double-clutch transmissions and rear- or all-wheel drive. All engines feature Porsche Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) for highest efficiency. For additional fuel savings, all Panameras include an engine stop-start function that can turn off and restart the engine at certain times, like when stopped at an intersection or in traffic.

The rear-wheel drive Panamera S has a 400-horsepower, 4.8-liter V8 engine that can propel it from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds on its way to a top test track speed of 175 mph. The manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) is $89,800. The all-wheel drive Panamera 4S receives the same 4.8-liter powerplant. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, achieves a top test track speed of 175 mph, and has an MSRP of $93,800.

At the top of the Panamera lineup is the Panamera Turbo with its 500-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8. Also featuring the new PDK transmission, the all-wheel drive Panamera Turbo sets a breathtaking 0-to-60 time of 4 seconds flat and a top test-track speed of 188 mph. The Panamera Turbo has an MSRP of $132,600, and all three Panamera models will go on sale in the United States
this October. [source: Porsche]

Printed right on the thin black sleeve holding the photographs is the following:

Spies would risk life and limb for them.
Bloggers would lie, cheat and steal for them.
The press would kill for them.

And you happened to have them in your hands right now.

The vague "them" they're referring to is of course the images contained therein, which would have been pretty clever marketing if we hadn't already seen the complete reveal of the car. The part about this we enjoy though is we bloggers would only lie, cheat and steal for them if they had been anything important, but the press, well they would kill for them! Clearly, Porsche holds bloggers in much higher esteem than our dead tree brethren.

We have CarScoop to thank for pulling many of these photos off of the truly annoying Panamera minisite. In them, we can see a few new, intriguing details. First of which is the Turbo’s wing, which appears to extend upwards from its cubby at the base of the rear glass before the wings extend outwards to the edges of the glasshouse. That sounds pretty neat and we can’t wait to see video of it in action.

Also interesting is the hybrid drivetrain. That model will premiere some time during Spring 2009, so in the meantime we can only look at the battery location and hope that the extremely rearwards location will lend the vehicle some shadow of the 911s character.

Our favorite model is the brown version. Somehow the unfortunate color combines with the awkward shape to cancel out the negative aspects of both. If we were forced at gunpoint to purchase a Panamera, it’d be a brown one with a white interior.

Everyone was up-in-arms when the Porsche Cayenne SUV was first revealed, but the utility vehicles have been widely embraced and the looks have aged well. But a Porsche sedan? The dentist/plastic surgeon set will go nuts for it because it's an expensive Porsche they can move the family in, but we're less than pleased with the design. From the front it looks too busy, from the profile it looks too long and from the rear it looks too dumpy. Perhaps this is one of those vehicles that gets better with age, but we're not sure if we'll be alive when that much time has passed.

PORSCHE PRESENTS FIRST PHOTOS OF THE PANAMERA GRAN TURISMO Worldwide Debut in Spring 2009 ATLANTA

November 24, 2008 —- Three-quarters of a year prior to market launch, Porsche has released the first official photos the new Panamera. Porsche's unique four-seater was conceived and designed as a four-door grand touring sports car, combining numerous talents in typical Porsche style: sporting driving dynamics, a spacious interior, and the supreme comfort of a Gran Turismo. Joining the 911, Boxster and Cayman sports cars as well as the Cayenne SUV, the Panamera is Porsche's fourth model series.

The Panamera designers have succeeded in positioning it as a brand-new and truly different model while retaining the looks of a typical Porsche. Through its proportions, the Panamera stands out in its market segment: measuring 76 inches wide and 55.8 inches in height, it is wider and lower than comparable four-door models. The unmistakable GT silhouette is created by the car's overall length of 195.7 inches and short, sporting overhangs. In its styling and details, the Panamera follows the design philosophy refined over decades on the 911 and successfully implemented on the Boxster, Cayman and Cayenne. Pure Porsche DNA and comfort for four.

Through its design language, the Panamera establishes a new segment. The symbiosis of sports car DNA derived from the looks of a coupe, the unique interpretation of the classical saloon body and the benefits of a variable space concept give the new Porsche a truly unmistakable appearance. For instance, Panamera comes with strongly contoured air intakes instead of a conventional radiator grille. Striking wheel arches and the long and sleek engine compartment, with the distinctly contoured wings flanking the flat front lid, create the typical 911 "landscape" Porsche customers have appreciated for over 45 years. V-shaped seams along the hood and a rear window that tapers like an arrow to the rear also are characteristic of a sports car. Muscular shoulders over the rear wheels, the sweep of the coupe-like roofline and visible tailpipes again bear the thoroughbred Porsche DNA. An elegant roof arch extends over the generous interior.

Thanks to the unique and sporting architecture of the interior, the car's occupants are able to experience a cockpit-like atmosphere from all four seats. All occupants enjoy supreme comfort in both the front seats and the two contoured rear seats. The luggage compartment easily takes all passengers' luggage; the Panamera's variable space concept with folding rear backrests enables driver and passengers to adjust the luggage space to individual requirements. Finally, the coupe tailgate in the sporting rear end combines everyday usability with stylish elegance. Panamera built in Leipzig; powerful engines hail from Zuffenhausen Porsche has developed powerful and up-to-date engines for the Panamera, reflecting the qualities typical of the brand; the V-engines come with six and eight cylinders and output ranges from 300 to 500 horsepower. Some engines use turbocharging technology and Direct Fuel Injection, making them both fuel-efficient and very powerful. Power flows to the wheels through either a manual six- speed gearbox or Porsche's seven-speed PDK Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, or Double-Clutch Gearbox.

In addition to rear-wheel drive, the top version of the Panamera comes with even more sophisticated all-wheel drive, available on other models as an option. Porsche also is preparing a fuel-efficient version of the Panamera with hybrid drive. Further details on engines, transmissions, performance, prices and equipment will be disclosed next spring.

The Porsche Panamera will be built at Porsche's Leipzig plant, where a 237,000-square-foot production hall and a logistics center currently are under construction. While the Panamera engines are built at Porsche's main plant in Zuffenhausen, painted bodyshells will be supplied by Volkswagen's Hanover plant. The Leipzig plant will then assemble the Panamera for final delivery, with an annual sales target of about 20,000 units. Porsche is once again cooperating with German suppliers, with some 70 percent of the car's components being created in Germany.

The Panamera will make its world debut in spring 2009 and the first models will be at U.S dealers in the fall of next year. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is based in Atlanta, Ga., is the exclusive importer of Porsche sports cars and sport utility vehicles for the United States. It is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, PCNA employs approximately 250 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 202 dealers. The dealers, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service. Throughout its 60-year history, Porsche has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations within the automotive industry. The company continues to celebrate its heritage by adding to its long list of motorsports victories dating back to its first 24 Hours of Le Mans class win in 1951. Today, with more than 28,000 victories, Porsche is recognized as the world's most successful marquee in sports car racing. PCNA, which imports the iconic 911 series, the Boxster and Cayman sports cars and the Cayenne sport utility vehicles for the United States, strives to maintain a standard of excellence, commitment and distinction synonymous with its brand. ###